The invention relates to a process for applying marks, letterings and structures on a surface, such as the surface of an identity card or other card.
The colours on identity cards, as for example chip cards (telephone-cards, magnetic cards, etc.), are applied by screen print or offset printing. They are dried or hardened by warmth, infra-red radiation or ultraviolet light applied to the entire area.
If it is desired to create writing, shades, structures, marbling, or symbols, it is necessary to use different colours and to dry those different colours either simultaneously or one after the other.
Lettering may be generated by engraving with a laser beam.
To date it has not been possible to produce writing, shades, structures, marbles, or symbols with definitely bordered regions which differ by different degrees of shine without using at least different nuances of color or even different colours.